Why do you hate me?
by Just a bit
Summary: One simple question with a rather complicated answer. Hermione and Draco meet in the library, what happens when Hermione speaks her mind? (implied HGDM)


(A/N: Anything you recognize doesn't belong to me, no matter how much I wish it did.  
  
This is set in Hermione's and Dracos' 7th year at Hogwarts.)  
  
Hermione was sitting at a corner table in the library. She had an essay to write for Arithmancy class and was busy working on it. Harry and Ron were at quidditch practice, so she could finally get some work done. She was reading a particularly interesting part when a certain blond boy walked in. She looked up to see what he was doing but then went back to concentrating on her homework. The boy ignored her too.  
  
After several minutes of one of them looking up to see what the other was doing and then ignoring each other they finally locked eyes. Hermione was unsure of what emotion was showing from his silver-gray eyes. She assumed it was hate.  
  
She had no idea why but she suddenly burst out, "Why do you hate me?" She didn't know why she said that but before she took it back she realized she actually wanted to know the answer. She figured that it was because she was muggle-born and friends with Ron and Harry. But who knows maybe she had done something to him when they were first years that had scared him for life.  
  
"Because you're a mudblood," he said with a sneer.  
  
Or maybe not, she thought, it had been because she was a mudblood.  
  
"That's a pretty stupid reason to hate someone," she told him. A couple years ago she might have been hurt when he called her that but now, she was kind of proud to be muggle-born. "I can't change being a 'mudblood'."  
  
"People hate people for lots of reasons," he told her looking up from what he had been doing. He was a little confused at her reasoning.  
  
"I know, but what's the point? I can't change who my parents were. I didn't choose them, I wouldn't change them for the world, but it still wasn't me who chose them."  
  
"So you wouldn't change it even if you could. Isn't that a reason to hate you," he said, Hermione was unsure if there was a hint of malice in his tone. He was a little bored and it had been a long time since his last verbal sparring with her.  
  
"Of course not, being muggle-born is part of what makes me, me. You should hate me for something I can change."  
  
He was still showing no expression, but Hermione felt that she had stumped him. After several minutes he asked quietly, "Why do you hate me?"  
  
To his surprise she thought about the answer, her brown eyes showing her deliberation. "I'm not sure if I do hate you." Malfoy looked shocked when she said this. "I don't hate you for who your is father and I don't hate you because you're a pure-blood or a Malfoy heir. I don't hate that you're a slytherin. All of those things you can't change. I hate it when you take away points from Gryffindor for no reason. I hated it when you sided with Umbridge. I honestly don't understand why you did that at all she was a horrible woman. I hate it when you think the world should revolve around you."  
  
"Any more?" He asked his eyes glinting dangerously.  
  
She smiled at him cheekily as she said, "Not that I can think of off hand." She was having fun; this was a first time in a long time that she had had the upper hand in a fight with him.  
  
"You know why I hate you?" He asked her, she shook her head no. "Because you're a know-it-all who thinks she has to stick her nose in everyone's life. What makes you think I want to change?"  
  
"Nothing I was just telling you that those are the things you could change that I hated you for. And you know what? You can hate me for being a know-it-all, I kind of like myself like that. And being nosy, well that's just me. I give you permission to hate me for that." She gave him a rather annoying smile; she knew how much he would dislike it that she had given him permission to hate her.  
  
"I don't need your permission."  
  
"I never said you did, but I'll give it to you anyway." With that she closed her book and began to walk away. She didn't know what had made her say those things, but it had been fun.  
  
Draco just sat in the chair she had just left looking rather confused. "Hermione," he called to her retreating back.  
  
"Yeah?" she asked turning around to face her. She had never noticed how intense his gaze was when it was fixed on her.  
  
"I'm not like my father." He said it simply with no emotion. But for some reason he wanted her approval, he didn't know why.  
  
She couldn't talk for a couple of seconds because she didn't know how to respond. Looking into his eyes she found something, she didn't know what it was but it didn't look like hate anymore. "All I can say is that I don't hate you," and with those words she walked away.  
  
"I don't think I hate you either," the blond boy said. She kept walking away but she did give him a small wave to show that she had heard him.  
  
Draco sat down stunned at the table she had just occupied. What just happened? He thought. He was so confused.  
  
(A/N: Please read and review, I'd really like some constructive criticism. Thank you in advance. If people do like the story than maybe I'll continue it, I'm not sure. If the story is bad please tell me. I tried not to make it too cliché) 


End file.
